NGC - For your reading entertainment - the first York PA Sportster

[ohiorider]

This was a really fun Saturday for me.  Last evening, several of my long-time neighbors met for dinner at D'Angelo's Italian Restaurant for a pleasant evening of food and talk.  As we were leaving, Mark, recently widowed, asked if I'd like to go shoot some target clays.  This morning, I pulled the not-recently-used Browning Citori from its resting place, threw several boxes of 20 year old reloads in a shoulder bag, and off we went.  A very pleasant diversion for a wet and somewhat snowy Saturday.

As we jumped in the Honda van to head for home, Mark asked if I'd like to run over to Greenville, PA, and meet some of his family at The Majestic Bar and Grille, a super hot dog place.  Of course!

After a few dogs and a Yuengling, we headed to Mark's sister in laws for a really pleasant afternoon.

In the course of conversation about guns, beer, and motorcycles, it came up that one of their friends had a rather unusual Harley Davidson.  Would we like to drop by and see it?  Well, it has two wheels and an engine, so, it was a unanimous 'yes!'

Here's what we found, and the following link tells the story.

http://www.thunderpress.net/motorcycles/harley-davidson/harley-davidson-sportster-number-zero-the-great-escape/2014/01/10.htm

And here's a pic taken with my phone camera of the lovely 1973 Sportster, the bike that should never have made it to the Harley dealer to begin with.



Bob

[HardAspie]

Ain't it purdy. And back then a Sporty wasn't a complete boat anchor. Look at it, it doesn't even look like 560 lb!

[K250]

VERY cool thanks Bob for sharing that!   

[Kev m]

Ain't it purdy. And back then a Sporty wasn't a complete boat anchor. Look at it, it doesn't even look like 560 lb!

Will, maybe that's because a 73 weighed more like 450#.

That said 560# is about the same weight of a Guzzi Tonti Cali, and not anything significantly more than a CARC (especially considering the CARC carries it's weight so much higher).

Regardless in a world with Guzzis that weigh 750#+ and tourers that weigh up to 1000# it's sorta silly to call 560# a boat anchor.

[HardAspie]

Will, maybe that's because a 73 weighed more like 450#.

That said 560# is about the same weight of a Guzzi Tonti Cali, and not anything significantly more than a CARC (especially considering the CARC carries it's weight so much higher).

Regardless in a world with Guzzis that weigh 750#+ and tourers that weigh up to 1000# it's sorta silly to call 560# a boat anchor.

560 may not be in tourer land, but a Sporty is not a tourer. For what it is, it is what it is, and I still say it's a boat anchor.

[Kev m]

560 may not be in tourer land, but a Sporty is not a tourer. For what it is, it is what it is, and I still say it's a boat anchor.

It's not a tourer?

Like a V7 isn't?

Maybe you should ask my buddy who ran and completed last year's Iron Butt Rally on an 06 XL1200R with over 100k miles on it.

Or perhaps you should ride one before you start casting aspersions.

It IS what it is? Like a similar size/weight/capability Tonti Cali from the Jackal to the Cal-Vin.

They're hardly boat anchors either.

[HardAspie]

I plan to tour on a 150. But that does not make the Wolf a tourer.

[Two Checks]

A 73 Sporty is a far cry from an 06. More like night and day.

[Red07]

Sounds like a great day Bob.  Great story about the sportster!


Randy

[HardAspie]

Yes it is. I rode one and felt that it was a reasonable lightweight, torquey, fun bike. Liked it. From roughly 470 to about 560 is a huge increase in weight, about 20%.

[Kev m]

I plan to tour on a 150. But that does not make the Wolf a tourer.

Funny you should argue that side of the semantics.

No matter, you bring up the Wolf.

360# 15 HP

Vs

560# 65 hp


That's 3x more hp/# on the Sporty.

Now what's the boat anchor?

It's silly attitude for someone with no real experience with the machine take. But it's commonplace with people feeling the need to disparage Harleys even though they don't ride em.

I don't get that anymore than the Harley idiots who don't know what else is out there either.

Anyway, this was a cool piece of Harley history.

Carry on.


PS yes the Rubbermount Sportys did gain weight over the solidmount EVO, which in turned gained weight over this 4-spd Ironhead. But there's a lot more to the big picture than just that. For one thing HP out paced the weight gain. And the comfort factor (especially nice when touring) was more than worth it. Steering is lighter or heavier based on a lot of things which differ from model-to-model, setup-to-setup.

No matter, it's a skewed perspective that doesn't take into account the big picture.

[HardAspie]

Funny you should argue that side of the semantics.

No matter, you being up the Wolf.

360# 15 HP

Vs

560# 65 hp

I do believe that I said that I truly liked the 1000 Sportster from the period of time that the one in question issues. I really cannot think oof anything that I disliked about it.
Further, just calling a modern 883 relative of the '73 1000 a boat anchor does not disparage it. It simply says that the new ones are heavy. They are. An d I was talking of absolute weight; not power to weight ratio. And the Wolf is listed as 266 wet not 360.
I truly do not know what put you into a bad mood. I stated one aspect of a model's weight gain from about 470 to about 560. That IN NO BLEEDING WAY insulted you.


That's 3x more hp/# on the Sporty.

Now what's the boat anchor?

It's silly attitude for someone with no real experience with the machine take. But it's commonplace with people feeling the need to disparage Harleys even though they don't ride em.

I don't get that anymore than the Harley idiots who don't know what else is out there either.

Anyway, this was a cool piece of Harley history.

Carry on.


PS yes the Rubbermount Sportys did gain weight over the solidmount EVO, which in turned gained weight over this 4-spd Ironhead. But there's a lot more to the big picture than just that. For one thing HP out paced the weight gain. And the comfort factor (especially nice when touring) was more than worth it. Steering is lighter or heavier based on a lot of things which differ from model-to-model, setup-to-setup.

No matter, it's a skewed perspective that doesn't take into account the big picture.

[Kev m]

It's not important. I'm probably crabby cause I'm fighting a stomach virus and have been nauseous (or worse all day).

Hit me late last night while Jenn was in the hospital on call. 6am (when the kids got up) to 9am (when she got home) was the worst.

Either that or this evening when it hit little Shay too. :(

[HardAspie]

It's not important. I'm probably crabby cause I'm fighting a stomach virus and have been nauseous (or worse all day).

Hit me late last night while Jenn was in the hospital on call. 6am (when the kids got up) to 9am (when she got home was the worst).

Either that or this evening when it hit little Shay too. :(

That's nasty stuff. Please accept my apology and also my hopes that you feel a lot better very soon, and that goes for the rest of your family. Awful when a bug hits everyone.

[Kev m]

That's nasty stuff. Please accept my apology and also my hopes that you feel a lot better very soon, and that goes for the rest of your family. Awful when a bug hits everyone.

Aw hell, you got nothing to apologize for. If anything I'm the one being crabby, so sorry if I'm coming on strong in defense of my beloved Sportsters lol.

But thanks for the well wishes.

Fingers crossed on the little ones, I wouldn't care so much about being sick myself if they were spared.

This is a nasty one though. I don't recall ever in my life being nauseous and hungry and in pain all at the same time.

[HardAspie]

Aw hell, you got nothing to apologize for. If anything I'm the one being crabby, so sorry if I'm coming on strong in defense of my beloved Sportsters lol.

But thanks for the well wishes.

Fingers crossed on the little ones, I wouldn't care so much about being sick myself if they were spared.

This is a nasty one though. I don't recall ever in my life being nauseous and hungry and in pain all at the same time.

Bad bug. I'm sorry.
And although I have no real need for a current Sporty, an old one...now that gets my blood flowing. Absolute love for them. I will never have the finances, but I'd take one like that in the story and ride that anywhere with a big silly grin on my face. Something so pure about them. They look and feel pure.

[Bonafide Bob]

Great story and a great looking motorcycle, thanks for sharing the story and picture.
Bob

[fotoguzzi]

how did the 20 YO re-loads perform?

and thx for posting that link, great story..

[ohiorider]

how did the 20 YO re-loads perform?

and thx for posting that link, great story..

Amazingly enough, I popped off several clays with my reloads from over 20 years ago.  And missed an equal amount.  I'm so out of practice shooting clays.  But the old reloads worked fine!  And didn't even cause me any embarrassment, like when I first purchased the MEC reloader.

As I recall, I shouted 'pull,' my buddy launched the clay, I pulled the trigger, and 'pooooof! Lead rolled out the barrel.  Stranger standing behind me simply said, 'oh, I see you reload, too.'

Glad you liked the Sporty story.  It was a pleasant surprise for me to cross paths with this bike.

Bob